Manchester United will not be Same without Sir Alex Ferguson as Manager

Not just the EPL, but the whole world is buzzing today (including the New York Stock Exchange) over the news Manchester United Legendary and iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the 2013 season.

After much speculations the past few days, Manchester United confirmed the news on its website this morning.

Said Sir Alex in his press release "The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly...It is the right time."

Ferguson will manage two more games before his retirement becomes official including this Sunday’s game at home against Swansea, and his last game away at West Bromfield on May 19.

Ferguons further added: "It was important to me to leave an organization in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so."

Ferguson and Manchester United have already wrapped up the club's 20th Premier League title (13th of Ferguson's career at Old Trafford).

After 26 years as Manchester United manager, Ferguson will stay on with the club as the director.

Following confirmation of his retirement, there have been much speculations about who will replace him as the Red Devils' manager. Speculations include Real Madrid’s manager Jose Mourinho and Everton’s manager David Moyes (the alleged front runner).

There is no question Manchester United is the elite club in the Premier League. Of the names being thrown around as possible replacements, particularly Moyes, none have managed clubs the stature of Manchester United, who have a vicious fan base who expect you to win every game.

The problem with Mourinho and Moyes, is that their coaching styles are more conservative than what United fans are used to—and very often they settle for mediocrity (more often settle for draws rather than blowout wins). At Old Trafford, this is not acceptable.

Given the circumstances, Moyes is the favorite because it will be easy for United to buyout his contract from Everton than to wait for Mourinho’s contact to run out at Madrid (which isn’t up until late August when EPL per-season games would have already started).

Why Manchester United will not be the same

If the club decides to hire Moyes it could be a disaster. While Moyes has had a lot of success at Everton during the last 10 years (he took them from a team that has battled relegations a number of times to the First Division to a legitimate contender for the UEFA Cup in recent seasons), he is going to much bigger club with higher expectations. He has found his place at Everton—a club iwith a tight budget where the expectations of qualifying for the UEFA Championship is not as expected as some many other clubs in Europe.

The perception at Everton is if they make it, then "kudos." If not, "better luck next season."

For Manchester United, it is imperative to play for the Champions League title each year. Moyes is very wise working within the transfer market when the pressure is on, but when he has a large budget with a lot of money to spend he tends to waste it on sub-par talent.

If Moyes gets the job, and there is a good chance he will, he will change the culture at Old Trafford. They will no longer be considered the Goliath of the EPL. Moyes is not going to be given a fair shot at running a high-payroll Manchester United. If hired, everything he does from day one will be measured against the success of Ferguson.

Ferguson is leaving behind some big shoes to fill. Most British papers have proclaimed that Ferguson has dominated the English game like no other managers ever did. With his slew of victories and overwhelming success, according to Manchester United website, he has been dubbed “the most successful manager in British football history."